Brothers D
by Clarobell
Summary: When Luffy met Ace, they hit it off right away. A short oneshot based around the first time Ace and Luffy meet. No pairings, just brotherly fluff.


**This is a short fic, most likely gonna stay as a oneshot. It's an excerpt from an rp VTM and I were doing. Both of us thought it was too cute, so I thought I'd post it and surprise her. Dedicated to my awesome friend, VTM.**

**Brothers D.**

"Oi, Dadan!" Garp's thunderous voice echoed across the empty countryside, as he raised a hand in greeting to his old friend.

Looked up at his Grandpa curiously from under his oversized Straw Hat, one hand firmly clutching three of the burly marine's fingers. He turned to look at the weathered house in the distance and blinked as another man, shadowed by the roof over the porch, raised a hand unenthusiastically. As they stepped closer, passing several high trees, unbeknownst to them, a pair of sleepy, bored eyes watched their advance. On one of the lower branches, Ace sat, one leg dangling from his perch, watching the two as they passed him by. Grandpa Garp had told him about his grandson... his _real _grandson before, and had even said he might meet him one day. He wondered if this was the kid he'd heard about.

"Just what are you doing here?" Dadan's voice sounded tried. "You only visited Ace last week."

"Ah, well," Garp started and raised a calloused hand to rub at the back of his head sheepishly. "There were a few problems with my Luffy here, and—"

"No." Dadan interrupted suddenly as he looked down at the small boy beside his friend. "Hell no, Garp! I have enough problems with Ace!"

"Ah, well," Garp's gravelly voice pressed on. "After the trouble in Fuchsia..."

"Trouble?" Dadan intoned, looking sceptical. He wouldn't put it past this man to dump another kid on him for convenience sake.

"Gramps!" Luffy suddenly piped up indignantly. "It wasn't _my_ fault!"

"Keep your mouth shut, boy!" Garp roared back, delivering a hard clout across Luffy's hated head before he turned his attention back to his put upon friend. "The ordeal with Red hair. I sent you a letter."

"I didn't get any letter from you." Said Dadan, his aggravation building.

"Ah...?"

Garp fished around in his pockets as Luffy reached up inside his hat to rub at his aching head, his lip jutted out in a pout.

"Ah, oops!" mumbled the marine, as he pulled out a crumpled old paper. Guess I forgot to post it!"

He handed it over with a bellowing laugh and Dadan shook his head exasperatedly. "This had better be good." He muttered. After a few minutes, the man looked up again, his face blank. "I hate all of you." He mumbled.

"Well!" replied Garp, cheerfully as he pulled his fingers free from his grandson's grip and nudged the boy forward. "I'd best be off! You be a good boy, Luffy!"

"HOLD ON JUST ONE DAMN MINUTE!" Dadan shouted, suddenly, storming forward and waving the letter like a knife, looking ready to paper cut Garp to death. "I didn't agree to one damn thing, you old bastard!"

Garp raised his hands defensively, and laughed as Dadan roared about the old marine dumping kid after kid in his care. Luffy watched the one sided argument broadly and jammed his little finger up his nose as he looked around. A sudden rustle of leaves caught his attention and he looked up, eyes locking with the sleepy orbs watching him from up in a nearby tree. Luffy took a sidelong glance at his Gramps and the new old guy before he trotted forward to the base of the tree and rooted around for a good foothold. As soon as he found a good hold, he climbed up to meet the other boy.

Ace watched the little Monkey with disinterest before his eyes slid closed for a nap. The kid looked small; small and weak.

"Yo~!" Luffy greeted enthusiastically, and yelped as he almost lost his grip on the tree when he raised a hand in greeting. Clumsily, he crawled onto the thick branch the older boy was perched on and sat opposite him, smiling excitedly.

Ace opened one eye, gazing at the kid warily. "What do you want?"

"You wanna play?" Luffy asked, and shuffled forward a little, his smile widening.

"I'm in the middle of nap right now." Replied the older boy, as he sighed and turned slightly away from Luffy. He tried before to play with the weaker kids in the town, but whenever they got hurt if it was his fault or not, their parents always ended up ushering them away with heated words about playing with demons. It was easier to play alone.

"Aw, c'mon!" whined Luffy. "I'm bored and Gramps and that old guy are shouting at each other!"

"You'll just get hurt, kid." Ace mumbled and shifted onto his side.

"Nu-uh!" Luffy argued, a cheeky grin stretching across his face. "I'm a rubber man, so I don't get hurt easily!"

Ace turned his head to face Luffy, one eyebrow raised high across his head. This brat was as crazy as the old man. "A rubber man, huh?"

"Yeah," Luffy nodded enthusiastically and hooked a finger into his cheek, stretching the skin away from his face. "See?"

Ace's nonchalance disappeared as quickly as any hot meal in the D. Residence as his eyes widened and sparkled with wonder. The older boy sat upright, an awed grin across his face.

"Cool!" he yelled, and reached out, grabbing both of Luffy cheeks, stretching them apart. Luffy laughed, delighted at his new friends sudden interest. Ace released the cheeks and chuckled as they snapped back into place. He looked Luffy up and down, and tilted his head thoughtfully. "Maybe we can play."

"Yahoo~!" Luffy cheered, and threw his fisted hands into the air, yelping as he almost fell off the branch again, only to be steadied by Ace. "I'm Luffy. Is there fun stuff to do around here?"

"I'm Ace. We could go bug hunting?"

"Are there big bugs here?" asked Luffy, a sparkle of excitement in his eyes.

"Yep!" Ace nodded and grinned. "Especially Hercules beetles."

"WOW!" Luffy yelled, his large eyes widening further in anticipation. "Let's go find 'em!"

Ace nodded and pressed the palm of his hand on the branch, using it to vault him off and to the ground, landing gracefully. Luffy watched him in wonder before he jumped off himself landing... with less grace. Ace winced as the boy fell to the ground with a splat, and for a moment was worried that maybe he'd overestimated the kid. When Luffy jumped up completely unharmed save for his dirty clothes, the excited smile crossed his face once more and the two boys ran off into the nearby woods, leaving the grown-ups to bicker about their future.

---

Garp crunched noisily on his rice cracker Dadan handed the man mu of tea, sitting opposite him on the small table on the porch. The two men watched Luffy and Ace playing around the trees and bushes close to the house, listening to them laughing and having fun.

"You didn't tell the kid whose son Ace is, did you?"

"Hah? No, 'course not." Replied Garp as he lifted his mug and took a gulp, only to choke on the hot tea.

"Idiot." Dadan snorted and handed the marine a napkin to wipe his face.

"Wouldn't matter, anyways." Garp continued as he wiped spots of tea from his uniform. "Luffy's a good kid. He doesn't care about things like that. Not as if he doesn't come from wild stock, too!"

Dadan watched as Luffy reached on his tiptoes, fingers spreading in an attempt to grab a branch just out of his reach. His eyes followed Ace as the older boy crouched and dipped his head between Luffy's legs to lift him up on his shoulders so he could crawl onto the branch.

"I'm warning you now, Garp. Even if they get along now, Ace can be... well, you know."

"My Luffy's pretty durable. He'll be fine." Replied Garp, dismissively.

"How can you be so damn relaxed? That boy beat two adults to a bloody pulp _again_ last week."

"Bwahaha!" laughed the burly marine as he crunched on another cracker and sprayed crumbs all over his friend. "He'll make a fine marine!"

"You don't listen..." Dadan sighed. "If he did that to two grown men, what will he do to a boy younger than him if things get out of hand?"

Garp turned to watch Ace and Luffy with a fond smile. "He's not a bad kid. He's just angry."

---

Luffy laughed boisterously as Ace hoisted him up onto another branch. He pulled himself fully onto it, lying on his belly, and his eyes widened as he came face to face with a Hercules beetle.

"OU!!!" he noised, and grinned in glee as the beetle crawled onto his face, making him go cross eyed. "I found one! It likes me!"

Ace laughed at how ridiculous Luffy looked and grabbed a hold of the trunk of the tree, using it as leverage, to hold himself up as he looped his free arm around Luffy's middle and pulled him to his body to help him down. Once their feet were firmly on the ground again, both boys laughed heartily at the beetle still perched on the younger one's face.

"What should I call him?" Luffy asked, and let out a soft squeal as the giant beetle crawled from between his eyes to his cheek, its bristly legs tickling his rubbery skin.

"Hmmm," Ace noised thoughtfully, "Atlas!"

"Atlas~!" Luffy repeated, and reached up to grab the beetle carefully from his face, laughing again as the insects legs wriggles around. "Hiiiii~ Atlas!"

Luffy held out his hand at Ace's face, showing off his new friend, and ace inspected the beetle with awe. "So cool...!" he whispered. "Hey, let's go find some more!"

Garp and Dadan watched as the two boys disappeared into the bushes again, one with pride and the other with uncertainty.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Garp." Dadan muttered, as he gathered up the empty plate and mugs.

Garp didn't reply, but watched the spot where the boys had disappeared and listened to their distant laughter with a confident smile.


End file.
